Senior Principal Scientist; Therapeutic Translation

Department: Therapeutic Innovation - R&I

Reports to: Chief Scientific Officer

Location: Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge with high flex (1 to 2 days per week on site).

Contract type/hours: Permanent, Full-time 35 hours per week (flexible working requests will be considered).

Interview Date: To be confirmed.

Interview process: Competency-based interview process with task/presentation.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

At Cancer Research Horizons (CRH) our Therapeutic Innovation team is investing in a world-leading capability to translate breakthrough discovery science into the next generation of oncology therapeutics. As part of this evolution, we have established a new Therapeutic Translation team. A group of experienced oncology drug discoverers dedicated to identifying, shaping, and accelerating the most exciting science emerging from the CRUK research ecosystem.

Every role at CRH is united by a single mission: beating cancer sooner. We carry out work that matters - impacting patients, families, and the future of science.

As a Senior Principal Scientist, you will play a pivotal role in evaluating the breadth of CRUK’s research portfolio, as well as emerging scientific areas with strong therapeutic potential. Working across CRUK Institutes, Centres, and international academic collaborations, you will build trusted relationships with scientific leaders to uncover early‑stage ideas with the potential to become validated, fundable therapeutic concepts.

This is an outward‑facing, high‑visibility role that requires deep scientific insight, strategic judgement, and a natural curiosity for uncovering translational opportunity before it becomes obvious. You will help transform breakthrough biology into new medicines for cancer patients, shaping not only individual projects, but the future direction of CRUK‑funded oncology research itself.

This position offers a rare opportunity for an accomplished drug hunter to influence therapeutic innovation on a national scale and support the discovery of tomorrow’s cancer therapies. You’ll be joining over 200 staff across CRH from both industrial and academic backgrounds, all dedicated to bringing forward the day we cure cancer.

• Support the implementation of a new Therapeutic Translation strategy for CRH TI to enhance the number of therapeutic opportunities identified from CRUK funded research.
• Maintain awareness of emerging areas of cancer biology and technological advances relevant to the objectives of CRH TI in order to identify and recommend priority translational opportunities for examination or investment.
• Analyse current and future CRUK funded research to highlight key translational opportunities.
• Work with CRUK PIs, Research Institutes and Centres, within the UK and internationally (CRUK/NCI Grand Challenges or Academic Alliances) to identify translational opportunities.
• Perform detailed reviews of opportunities identified.
• Shape new hypotheses and collaborative proposals in partnership with PIs.
• Signpost the Therapeutic Catalyst scheme and assist the development and submission of EOI proposals.
• Propose translational opportunities for strategic interventional funding.
• Propose opportunities for consideration as TI collaborations and for experimental validation by TI’s Portfolio Generation.
• Promote the visibility of the Therapeutic Translation team in the academic research community and life science sector.

• PhD or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g. Bioscience, Chemical Biology) with previous experience of working on oncology drug discovery in industry.
• You will have expertise in identifying and developing small molecule therapies and/or…